Daily Yellowstone journal., 1887-04-13
OLD TIME SUGAR RAISING.

"tk '@ wv wv 80
Plantation Nearly seventy Years Ago.
This plantation was sagaci0usly and
iastefully laid out for beauty and pro-
d~uctiveness. The gardens occupied a
large area, and at once aStonishcd the
eye by the magniticence Of their shady
avenues Of orange trees. Unbruken re-
treats Of myrtle and laure! dctied the
rays of the sun. Flowers OF every de-
scription perfumed the air. Extensive
orchards produced every fruit Of which
the climate was susceptible. By Judlcious
culture there had been obtained remark
able success in producing an abundance
of juicy grapes, every bunch Of which.
however. when they began TO ripen, was
enveloped in a sack of wire to protect
them against the depredations of birds.
The fields were cultivated with such a
careful Observance of the variable EXT
gercics of every successive season that
there was no such thing known as n
short or half crop, or no crop at all.
This was reserved for much later days.
But under the administration Of Etienne
de Bore. during a p riod Of twenty-five
years, from the first ebullitiOn of a sugar
kettle in 1875 10 the time of his death in
1920. every crop WAS regularly the same
within a few hogsheads. When, how
ever, he ceased To exist this seat Of order
and prosperity became a chaos Of dis.
order and ruin. and the estate finally
passed away from the family into the
hands of strang RS,
1t was a self-suficient little domain.
exporting a god deal, and importing but
meagerly. so that the balance was very
much in its lvur. II was largely sup
piled with sheep and their wool, with
geese, ducks. turkeys, guinea fowls and
every variety of poultry without stint.
Eggs were gathered by the bushel. Pig
cons cloudcd (he sun. and when the small
black cherries Ccall merises in FRENCH
were ripe, those feathered epicures ate
them voraciously, got royalty drunk and
falling from the trees strewed the ground
beneath. A numerous herd Of cattle.
under the inspection of old Pompey. and
q black youlgster called Souris lin
English mouse, on account OF his d.
minutiye figure, pastured luxuriously
and grew fat, What a quantity Of
fresh butter. rich cheese. milk, cream
and clubber! Vast barns gorged with
corn, rice and hay: hives bursting with
honey; vegetables without measure. and
SO luscious: a varied and liberal supply of
carriages always ready for Use. and horses
for the saddle or for driving. all glossy
and sleek; spirited mules. well fed and
well curriel-the pride of the field hands:
shrimfs and fish from the river; multi
tudes Of crawiish from the deep bitches:
racco"ns aud oppossums to gladden. the
heart Of :he most surly negro. Bore had
made Of his estate both a farm and a
plantation. Every day before dawn
cartloads departed for New ORLEANS with
diversified produce. most Of which WAS
handel over when it reached its Gestina-
ton to Two old women. Agathc and
Marie. who were the occupants and guard
ians of the town house If Bore. They
admiTally understood the art Of selling.
and were well known Il the whole poru-
lation. whose conf ience they possessed.
Goiug % market with baskets full,
they generally brought them back
empty, josephine, a handsome, strong
limJel and light footed mulatto.
with another female assistant If a
darker color, sold the mil; and
butter with wonderful rapidly, and both
were back ut the plantation at 1880
q. M. with the mail. the daily papers
and whatever else they had u bring. 1t
was clpckwork in everything On that
plantation # tho oil regime. Hence the
farm pro. rcNi al least $1,000 per annum,
beside supplying all the want, If those
who resided On il. black VI white, AMI
the product Of the plantation was almost
all profit,
Tie disCipline established on it was a
sort uf military one. At dawn. when it
vas anne "a 20 Ia the field and tn the
Other lalor~ of the day. the big tell rang.
The whole gang Of negroes came to the
hnus, IN front Of which they all kucclcd.
and a short prayer was said, ALWAYS in
tn presence Of "A male member 81 the
family, who stood up with head uncov-
cred, Tie same ceremony wa per-
formed in the evening before they went
10 their supper and their rest for the
night. | wildly remember how felt
when, being about ) years old. / was for
the first time called upon 10 preside over
The prayers II The dark ns-rmblage.-
Charles Gayarre in Harper's Magazine.